Everything Begins Somewhere
by TheRoseShadow21
Summary: 'Picking the name 'Hajime' had been instinct, but now he was older, he understood that instinct. Everything begins somewhere. And this friendship might have been planted in a moment many years ago, but it was only beginning now.' One-shot, kind of fluffy, but not romantic.


**Another random idea that I had. This one's based on Nice trying to find Hajime again (and finding her). It's a one-shot, but there will be a sequel from the POV of Master and/or Koneko. I'm not sure when I will start( or finish) that though. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this. **

_Nowhere, huh? Well, that makes sense, considering. _

It had been remarkably easy to walk out of Facultas. For one thing, he was nearly of age, and so would have been allowed to leave anyway. For another, people were allowed to drop out-take Birthday and Ratio from a few years back. Birthday had left due to poor health, and soon after Ratio left, as if to follow him. Which, if Nice thought about it, was almost like what he was doing. Years of searching for Hajime within Facultas had led to nothing, so she must have been taken to live on the outside.

And now, he had followed.

It wasn't an entirely good idea. In the first place, he had no idea where she could be. Then there was Facultas, going on about him being a genius or whatever. They wouldn't be too happy about him leaving. And, of course, he'd left Art behind. Which wasn't a very good thing for a friend to do, especially after Skill had died. But the way he figured it, Art would graduate properly in a few years, and go work in the police force the way he'd always wanted to. Then they'd reunite, and be friends again.

But first he had to find her. But before that, maybe he could get a drink from this place. Café Nowhere. What a strange name. But still, a café was a café.

He walked in, and scanned the surroundings. The place was all polished wood and warm colours, with a long bar along one side. There was a girl sitting at the bar, eating a hamburger, but apart from that the place is empty.

_Maybe this place gets more business in the ev-wait. There's a girl here. Eating a hamburger. _

Nice walked up to the bar, and leaned against it, trying to look as if he was just taking in the view of the café. In actual fact, he was looking at the girl.

_Black hair, check. Scarlet eyes check. Cute face, check. Hamburgers, check._

Yes, the details he remembered were all there. She was taller, and looked older, which was to be expected. But her hair was short, and not falling in her face, and she didn't look desperate or sorrowful. Still, it could be Hajime. It could be.

"What are you doing?" the girl asked, only glancing at him for a second.

"Ah, nothing, nothing. Just considering my life choices."

"In _here_?" the girl barely missed a beat as she continued to chomp on her hamburger, but still managed to sound incredulous.

"Eh, well, this place has an interesting name. It seems to suggest it isn't anywhere, but the fact it exists means that it isn't not anywhere, it's _here_. Speaking of names, I'm Nice. What's your name?" It was now or never. Either he was right and his search was complete, or he was wrong and he would just have to carry on.

"Hajime. Your name is weird." She had said that the first time they'd met, all those years ago. Lots of people thought his name was odd, but the way she said it just confirmed who she was to him. The search was over.

"Yes!" When Hajime gave him a weird look, he paused. Did she not remember him?

"Eh…It's just; you looked like a 'Hajime-Chan' to me, so I'm glad I guessed right." When Hajime shrugged at that, he breathed a sigh of relief. If she didn't remember him, then he would have to approach things differently.

"So…do you live here, Hajime-Chan?"

"Yes. With Master and Koneko."

"Your…parents?"

"Friends. I don't have a family." That made sense, he allowed. Well, not complete sense, but it was something.

"That's wrong, I think. I don't have parents, but I have friends I've known all my life, so I think of them as my family."

Hajime stopped chewing, and looked at him.

"Why aren't you here with _your_ friends, then?" she asked.

Now, that was one hell of a question. Nice laughed sheepishly, thought about it.

"Well…some things I have to do by myself. I'll meet up with them eventually, anyway. And besides, you're here, aren't you?" Hajime had started eating again, but stopped when he uttered that last sentence.

"We're friends?"

Nice smiled at her. "Well, of course we are, Hajime-Chan."

"But we just met."

"Duh! A friendship has to begin somewhere, doesn't it? So, here, I meet you. When we look back ten years from now, and someone else asks you how we became friends, you'll tell them about this place, how a weird guy wearing headphones came in and started talking to you about weird stuff while you were trying to eat your hamburger."

"If I remember."

"Eh? "

"I don't remember anything, before coming here. I just have scary dreams sometimes."

"What's that gotta do with anything?"

"I...I don't get it."

"Sounds like a case of retrograde amnesia, not anterograde. So you'll be able to make new memories, no problem."

Hajime narrowed her eyes at him.

"Are you some kind of scientist?"

Nice laughed at that. And kept on laughing. After a stunned moment of silence, Hajime started to giggle a little. That was new for him. Never had he heard Hajime laugh. He was glad that she had been on the outside, to be able to learn how to laugh. He was just sad that he'd missed the opportunity to be the one to teach her. And devastated that she'd forgotten their first meeting, especially as he'd been searching and searching for her.

But, he was here now, wasn't he? That's what mattered, right?

"Ah, Hajime-Chan, you've finished your hamburger."

Hajime looked at the empty wrapper in her hands.

"Oh." She stood up and went to a nearby bin to throw away the wrapper. Then, she looked around.

"I don't have anymore." She looked disappointed.

"I can buy you some!" Nice said, a little too eagerly. Hajime tilted her head questioningly.

"There's a good street vendor, not too far from here."

"Master and Koneko aren't back." Hajime said, cautiously, although Nice could see she really wanted another hamburger.

"How long will they be?"

"They went just before you came, so not long?"

"Soo, just leave a note or something. We won't take too long anyway, and we'll come right back. And I've got lots things I want to tell you, about things."

"Your life choices?"

"Yup!"

Hajime considered this.

"Okay. Let's get hamburgers." She went around to the back of the counter, got a piece of paper and wrote a quick note, before leaving it near the till and coming back to stand next to Nice.

"Well, are we going?"

"Of course, of course."

They left the café, and started walking. Nice looked at Hajime a few times, just taking her in. He kinda wanted to hold her hand again, just like he had before. But clearly, he couldn't.

_A friendship has to begin somewhere, doesn't it? _

His own words popped into his head again. He thought of Hajime's note, and how he'd managed a quick glance at it before they left.

'_I'm going to get hamburgers with Nice-kun. He's my new friend. I won't be too long.'_

The words made him feel warm, but also made him understand. New friend. To her, that's what he would be. And in a way, that's what she was to him. Even back then. Picking the name 'Hajime' had been an instinct, but now he was older, he was able to understand that instinct. Everything begins somewhere. And this friendship might have been planted in a moment many years ago, but it was only beginning now.

And, as it turned out, he was perfectly fine with that.

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